The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-04-10

tracks for hours. until they struck hard ground,
and then being unable to see Tie trail, we gave
it up. During the Ave days we spent on the
Musseshell we saw bear tracks good many
times. ard also the carcasses of three cows that
had beea killed and eaten; but never once
sighted a grizzly. In that region they now
and hard 10 find. 1t was the same case
with elk. We found fresh elk track now and
then. and great many pairs Of old elk antlers.
bleached white as chalk: but never once did
get sight of an elk. And this was a great disap-
pontment.
After spending two days Of our time in a fruit
less search for bear and elk, we gave them up
and turned our attention to hunting deer. In
the cottonwood timber and the thick copses Ut
red willow that filled the river bottom there
were plenty of whitetailed deer. and to them
Jim McNaney and Russell paid special attention.
The rustling of the dead leaves always made
such racket that the deer had notice OF the
hunters coming long before no got within fair
shooting distance, and IL was hard work to get
fair shot, either standing or running. Tho
woods were actually full of deer mostly young,
to be sure. but their ''environment' was SO we'll
calculated to promote the survival OF the
fittest" that the most OF them got away
Boyd and paired off and hunted the breaks"
back from the river for black tail It WAS wild,
rugged country. huilt on grand scale, most ro-
mantle and unusual to look upon. but hard to
get through 1t was whole days work to ride
through one system Of ravnes, from the narrow
pass where it burst through the line of bluffs
and entered the river up to the high level plateau
at its head. There were miles upon miles Of
steep hills and deep hollows, little buttes and
sharp hogbacks, all of it bad grounds" and
covered with struggling growth of stupted
pines and cedars. It was the country par excel
lence for lacktail, but, sad to say. We found
them few and far between. It is the eame old
story, as have already told of the buffalo and
antelope. The Winchesters are TOO many for
them.
The day that Boyd and had our best luck in
the breaks. Jim and Russell met their W ater-
loo In the river bottom just below US, and this
was how it happened:
My partner and rode off at daybreak, and in
half an hour were fairly into our hunting ground
We rode down some steep declivites, toiled up
others on foot leading horses, picked our way
along sharp bare hogbacks. and silently
searched for game. The stunted cedars and
struggling pines were sharply looked through,
and presently, when We reached the top of
commanding ridge. looked across a ravine.
and on the hillside opposite fine black
TAILED buck He was looking at US Intently.
The distance was 200 yards good measure, and
bning already On the ground it was but the work
o. moment to draw up and fire. He leapeI
OH wildly, ran twenty yards and fell dead with
bullet squarely through his lungs He had a
beautiful head and was welcome prize A lit.
tlS further on Boyd killed fine doe. q COM
pa MON for him in the collection, quite It
should be-
But before Boyd or I had fred a shot that
morning the rifles of Jim and Russell began TO
make the woods below US ring with one shot
after another-whang! bang! whang! It was the
most musical shooting ever heard. Every SHOT
waB a perfect song that went ringing through
the,timber the crisp, frosty air. echoing and
re.schoing from bluff to bluff and filing en-
viors ears like peal OF bells. The boys shot
and shot and kept shooting. now rapidly, now
slowly, but in jolly, businessike way that
was terribly tantalizing to u.s. 1t seemed as If
they would never STOP We felt half angry
with ourselves over their better luck. Great
| grief" exclaimed Boyd at last. in tone of pro-
| test That timber must be just lousy with
| deer / wish we had gone there. How many
| do you reckon them fellers will getF'
''Half dozen. sure, and some fine bucks
| amongst them" l answered. hopefully, yet with
| regret. Mechanically l kept count of their
| Shots and before the hunt was over they had
| fired just twenty-six Up to that time my part
| fired in two days. Well, we skinned our two
| deer and carried the skins to camp behind our
| saddles. The other two boys returned crest
| fallen. Disguised, mad. They had only one
| with Russell, and would never again hunt with
| anybody. Russell openly swore at himself for
doing such poor shooting, and would have
| kicked himself if he could Since that was i'm
possible he tried to get square with himself by
| calling himself all sorts of names. 1t was bad
giveaway on the boys. but they took it SO seri-
ously to heart none of US felt at all inclined to
| joke them about it then. In fact. if they were
| within roach Of me- am not at all sure would
venture to air the episode in this ribald manner
| even now.
In three days killed ten deer. and had
1 enough enjoyment 20 last us two years The
| country was new to us all. and our romantic and
| weird surroundings were a perpetual delight
| That lovely river was the only running stream
we saw north Of the Yellowstone. One day, as
Boyd and lay resting on the highest point of a
lofty bluff that rose straight up from tho waters
! edge. We saw that from such point of view the
stream is almost as green as an emerald. and
quite as clear. For half an hour we Toasted our
eyes on the charmingly pretty picture made by
the green and glistening river winding through
Its timbered valley the lofty bluffs that rose on
either hand along it's course through the occa.
sional clefts of which wscausht glimpses OF the
wild and rugged breaks that lay beyond them.
Although the weather was singing cold and we
camped ont without shelter we were comfort
able and felt very jolly, despite the scarcity OF
game. Tho cowboys were so charmed by the
romantic nature Of the spot-and the grizzly
bear tracks-that they talked strongly of return.
ing to winter there, for continuation of the
hunt after our troubles with buffalo were over.
In some respects it was a,glorious country for
hunter but itcontained no buffalo, and as i,
| was buffalo we wanted, We babe farewell to the
Musselshell, and wore soon in pursuit o. grander
game than deer.